Mainstay Insurance

Just read this great article for those travelling abroad.  Share it wth staff, family and friends.  I find that if we’re prepared, thenigs always tend to work out for the better (maybe it comes from the old sailing adage of …Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance)

I have also added the SOS numbers to reach the Canadian Government to the Mainstay USEFUL LINKS page.

Dreaming about your next getaway? That probably means imagining unlimited glasses of mojitos and sunshine or an afternoon spent getting lost down the streets of a new city… or maybe both (but hopefully not at once). Whatever your ideal vacation looks like, the last thing that’s on your mind before arriving is the accidents that could occur while travelling. But the reality is, emergencies abroad can and do occur.

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This is an informative newsletter produced by Organizational Solution Inc. and acts as a resource for employers on the changes occurring in WSIB in every province.

To Read the newsletter, click below, then scroll to the province(s) in which you have employees.

http://www.orgsoln.com/pdf/WC-Updates-Summer-Fall-2019.pdf

Employers that follow employment law cases (like the ones I send out from time to time) were a tad concerned about the common law notice period being extended from 2 to 3 years maximum after this case.  The recent appeal has reduced that judgement to 2 years max. except for really exceptional cases.  Employers may still find hardship in paying the 2 years notice, but can rest a bit easier knowing it’s not 50% more.

Court of Appeal Confirms: Reasonable Notice Is Capped At 24 Months, Absent Exceptional Circumstances

We are as vigilant as possible in reviewing renewal data, and looking for high paramedical claims that may indicate fraud.  We educate clients, and have several each year that inform us of suspicious behaviour by employees (often TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE offers).

We call fraud lines from time to time to report, and often make plan design changes (read as benefit cuts) in an attempt to protect employers.  The story below, shows how big the problem can become…

One of the fired employees said she began claiming for physiotherapy she did not receive because she was paying more each month into a benefits plan than she was actually using.

In what could be one of the largest and longest-lasting benefits fraud schemes ever discovered in Canada, a Toronto geriatric hospital has dismissed approximately 150 employees for falsely claiming as much as $5 million in benefits over an eight-year period.

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From time to time we find new technology launched into the employee benefits space, that while very cool, doesn’t really solve a problem.  It’s a great idea, but you can’t see an employer paying for it, unless they fit just a certain set of conditions (and few clients are working at remote mining towns in northern Ontario).

Telemedicine is one of those things.  Sure, having a doctor on your phone can save a visit to (and hence some lost time), but do employers want to pay when the current system works pretty good for free (and heck, they can go after hours and on weekends…right?)

Well now here is a fee for service model that can be used by anyone.  Don’t have a family doctor?  Wish you could do a quick consult but have a deadline and can’t afford to wait at the doctors office?  Are out of town at the cottage or a business trip and not close to your doctor?  All these situations may make this an option for you…

Appointment pricing ranges depending on the type (generally $25-$50). Appointments are paid by the employee, but can be covered by health spending accounts and a complete receipt is provided for reimbursement.

If you’d like to make this available AND pay for it for all your staff, yearly and monthly membership plans are available, just let us know and we can set you up..

For more information, check out TIA Health at  https://tiahealth.com/

This article came across my desk and I thought it well written and hit the points where we often see things go wrong, especially with smaller employers where HR might be part-time or absent.

The decision to terminate an individual’s employment is not an easy one. At times, however, whether due to economic pressures, or poor performance, it may nevertheless be necessary.

The process your organization follows when carrying out a termination of employment is important. It can have a big impact on the affected individual and, if done carefully, can reduce the potential risk of liability to your organization.

Here are our top five things that any employer should take into consideration when looking to dismiss an employee….

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Employers with employees in Ontario often ask us to confirm legislative requirements under various employment statutes, including mandatory postings, training, and policies under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

To make this information conveniently available, the Littler Toronto assembled these requirements in a single publication, which was originally posted in August 2017. An updated version of this publication was provided to clients in March 2018 and the newest version can now be accessed through the link below.

These apply to ALL Ontario Employers.  Make sure you are compliant.

Ontario Mandatory Postings

The Ontario Ministry of Labour is adding events to educate Ontario employers.

If you are interested and would like to register, please follow the link below

Free webinar on hours of work and overtime – July 24

Do you know what the hours of work and overtime rules are in Ontario? What about how to calculate overtime pay? Join ministry staff for a one-hour overview beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Register online

I have had the great privilege of being a part of the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey Advisory Board for the past few years.  Through this group I get to meet some great people in a variety of roles including; consultants, insurers, plan sponsors, associations, medical, pharmaceutical, as well as those in the publishing field that make it all happen behind the scenes.  These are people that the average benefits advisor never gets the chance to meet let alone spend some time with.

The learning for  the survey results as well as the exchange itself, makes me much better as an advisor and as an educator in our industry. Thank you Sanofi, for making the survey possible and letting me be a part of it.

Tale a few minutes to read the report highlight.  Some of the results that the employers and employees share can be quite enlightening.

While just half (49 per cent) of plan members said changes were made to their benefits plan in the past two years, 72 per cent of plan sponsors reported they made changes, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey.

Read the Benefits Canada article HERE    Get the 2019 Survey HERE

This case is from late last year but provides a great example of the amount of notice that may be required for changes in “conditions of employment”.  As employers make changes to benefit plan offerings, employment contracts (contract staff, independent contractors), or major changes in location etc., they may wish to keep in ind that notice may be as long as notice for termination.

Published on July 11, 2018 User Stringer LLP
In Lancia v. Park Dentistry, the Ontario Superior Court confirmed that employers can change the fundamental terms of an employee’s employment, without providing consideration, so long as they take appropriate steps to provide reasonable notice of the change coupled with notice that employment under current terms would terminate at the end of that notice period…

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